About of Lesya Ukrainka Eastern European National University

Lesya Ukrainka Eastern European National University

The educational institution began its history in 1940, when the Lutsk State Teachers’ Institute was established. 135 first-year-students were enrolled on the institute. Fifty lecturers conducted an educational process. There were four faculties at the institute: the Faculty of Philology with the departments of Ukrainian and Russian Studies, the Physics and Mathematics Faculty, the Faculty of Natural Science and Geography, and the Faculty of Distance Learning.

Methodological, material and technical resources of the institute were insufficient. The institute was located on the outskirts of Lutsk in the building of the former orphan house built in 1929 (today there is a boarding-school there). There were shortages of equipment, books as well as teacher shortage. However, classrooms and laboratories were gradually equipped and libraries were stocked with corresponding materials. The Poltava Pedagogical Institute helped with those problems a lot. Ivan Sokur was appointed the first president of the Lutsk State Teachers’ Institute. The work of the institute was interrupted by World War II in 1941, but resumed in 1946. In September 1951 the Lutsk State Teachers’ Institute was re-established as the State Pedagogical Institute which a year later was granted the use of the name of Lesya Ukrainka. At that time the institute had only two faculties: the Faculty of History and the Humanities and the Physics and Mathematics Faculty. But at the beginning of the 1990s there were already nine faculties at the institute. In May 1964 sports and recreational camps for students and lecturers were established at Lake Svityaz which were forerunners of the “Hart” sports and recreational camp.

On July 16, 1993 by the Decree of L. Kravchuk, the President of Ukraine, the Lesya Ukrainka Lutsk State Pedagogical Institute was granted the right to use the name “Lesya Ukrainka Volyn State University.”

On September 26, 2007 V. Yushchenko, the President of Ukraine, signed the Decree “Regarding the granting of national status to the Lesya Ukrainka Volyn State University”. The following is stated in the Decree: “Taking into account national and international recognition of activity results of the Lesya Ukrainka Volyn State University and its significant contribution to development of national education and science, declare to grant of national status to the Lesya Ukrainka Volyn State University.”

On August 24, 2012 the President of Ukraine issued the Decree “Regarding the renaming of Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University as the Lesya Ukrainka Eastern European National University.”

At the moment the University is made up of 7 Institutes (the Institute of Social Sciences, the Institute of Arts, the Institute of Physical Culture and Health, the Pedagogical Institute, the Institute of Philology and Journalism, the Institute of Foreign Philology, the Institute of Economics and Management), 9 departments (the Department of Mathematics, the Department of Physics, the Department of Chemistry, the Department of Biology, the Department of Geography, the Department of Law, the History Department, the Department of Psychology, the International Relations (IR) Department), the Teaching and Research Center of Postgraduate Education, the Preparatory Department, 75 Chairs of the Department with professional academic staff. There is another structural unit of Lesya Ukrainka Eastern European National University - College of Technology, Business and Law (founded in 2009). The University also has the Research institute for Lesya Ukrainka Studies, EU Information Centre, Institute of Poland, Information and Career Consulting Centre, Culture and Leisure Centre, the Volunteer Centre «Довіра»(“Trust”),the Museum of Archaeology, the Volyn and Polissya Ethnography Museum, the History of Lesya Ukrainka Eastern European National University Museum and so on.

Regarding the educational process, the University academic authorities are keeping up to date: in all the departments and institutes the process of study is carried out on the basis of the credit system in line with the Bologna standards; there are multimedia equipped study rooms, computer classrooms, Creative Laboratories, the Center for Innovation, Technology and Testing. It has become traditional to give first-year students the "Freshman Handbook", to organize a roundtable discussions such as "Bologna Process: Problems and Prospects","I and my studies"and the University ranking (assessment of teachers) “Through Students' Eyes.”

The material and technical resources of Lesia Ukrainka Eastern European National University includes 13 educational buildings, 6 hostels , preventative clinic, student’s base "Hart" (Lake Svitiaz), stadium with a modern covering of the playground and treadmills, two botanical gardens, agrobiostation.

Dozens of our students annually win prizes at regional, national and international competitions and contests. Each year more than 100 student works are published in professional journals. Students have the opportunity to work on probation at prestigious universities in the US, Germany, Canada, Sweden, Poland and others. With the creation of the university teachers’ scientific activity is revived. An active research is being done in such branches as chemistry, physics, biology, geography, mathematics, humanities. The main areas of research are:

The study of Shatsky National Park - the core of international environmental Poliske corridor;

The study of the life and creativity of our patroness Lesia Ukrainka;

Development of cross-border cooperation in the framework of cooperation «Poland-Belarus-Ukraine»;

Inventive and patent work.

Lesia Ukrainka Eastern European National University provides training in postgraduate and doctoral studies in 15 fields.

University scientists are respectful and authoritative among Ukrainian scientists , as evidenced by their involvement in the work of expert councils of The Higer Examination Board of Ukraine (physics, chemistry, literature) and in professional councils of the State Accreditation Commission, and membership in many specialized councils on defence of candidates’ and doctoral theses. Scientific achievements of teachers are continuously published in university periodicals : «Scientific Herald EENU», «Youth scientific Herald EENU», «Psychological perspectives», «Volyn Chronicle», «Historical studies», «Volyn philological: text and context», «Lesia Ukrainka and modernity», «Mass communication: history, modernity and perspectives», «Typology and functions of language units», «Musical studies of Institute of Arts EENU and NMAU», «Nature of Western Polesie and adjacent areas», «Sociological studies» , «Ukraine and Poland: Past, Present, and perspectives», «Physical education, sport and health culture in modern society» and others.

In the university the editorial and publishing center is functioning. The newspaper "Nash Universytet" is regularly published.

In the framework of international cooperation and promoting foreign languages in Lesia Ukrainka Eastern European National University such language centers are functioning: German language center, the language center «Svit», English Club, Foreign language certificate courses (English, German, French, Polish, etc.).

The sport elite of Volyn is formed at the Institute of Physical Education and Health. Dozens of athletes who won medals and diplomas at the most prestigious competitions in the world were trained here: Nadia Myroniuk, Nadia Borovska, Tetiana Kob, Andrii Shevchuk, Yana Belomoina, Maxym Bohdan.

The university is proud of the artistic groups of the Institute of Arts, which are known not only in the region and Ukraine, but also in other countries, especially male vocal quartet «Akord», banduryst trio «Dyvostruny» , folk instruments ensemble «Dzherela», song and dance ensemble «Rozmai», vocal octet «Double voise», instrumental ensemble «Ekspromt».

In EENU such cultural and educational, recreational activities became traditional : Freshman Day, Students’ Day, Miss University, Mister University, Health Day, Days of Lesia Ukrainka, shares «Give flowers for charming», «Heart to the heart», «Give a child the joy» excursion to the historic places of Ukraine, the rest on the coast of Black and Azov seas and in Carpathians.

There is no doubt that our university is an example of a classical learning institution, as it was recognised by the authoritative commission that accredited it with the highest IV level rating. Lesia Ukrainka Eastern European National University was honoured by numerous award on international and all-ukrainian levels .

University administration and staff are working hard in order to guarantee that the level of the university training of graduates corresponds with international standards, to be certain that the scientific schools function to full value, and to make all efforts to ensure that Lesia Ukrainka Eastern European National University is at the top of the ladder among classical universities of Ukraine and Europe.